Bulkhead-wall construction



Dec. 10, 1929. c. WEBER BULKHEAD WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed March 13, 192B 2 Sheets-Sheet l -f awww A 'I' y A A S u'ucntoz .NI Il rI/W e 1w WW Z m CM @ma Dec. 10, 1929. C* WEBER 1,739,108

' BULKHEAD WALL QQNSTRUCTION Filed March 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lf/Qlg. 6.

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attoznm Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED t.tributes PATENT fom-ics CAR-'L WEBER, oF JACKSoNvInLE-nnonrnn, AssIGNoB To sHoRE-LINE BUILDERS, INC., V011` JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, A Acfolvrr'AlNTY 0F FLoRDA BULKHEAD-WALL CNSTRCTION Appnation :nea March 13, 192s. seran No. 261,263.

My invention relates to the construction of bu-lkhea'ds or retaining walls, suc-h as are used for the protection of shorelines and banks of oceans, lakes and rivers,vfor the retention of earth embankments and fills, for the walls of reservoirs, tanks, swimming pools and the like, a-nd for the core walls in earthen dams and analogousl structures.

The o'bjec-t of my invention is to build `such retaining walls in strict accordance with sound engineering methods and in Yan improved manner, so that permanent safe and secure Walls of this kind can be built at a lower cost than heretofore.

I accomplish this purpose by fabricating interlocking concreteslabs or wall sections with recessed ends, which are supported upon foundation piles, which may be old steel rails. These piles are permanently encased in concrete, poured laround them in 'said recessed ends, so vthat they form an integral part of the completed structure and take up the vertical loads. as well as Ahorizontal thrusts 'caused by the pressure of the bank or of the Water. ,y

The slabs are formed with pilaster extensions on their ends, which meet around a pile and enclose 'the same. The faces of said ends are grooved or irregularly shaped to inter lock with each other, the joint between them being filled with the concrete which is poured around the pile in the recessed ends. The pilasters, formed by the meeting ends of two slabs, may project from the front of the wall, as when it is used for shore protection, or from the back of the wall, as when it is used lfcr boat landings, swimming pools, andthe For the foundation piles I use, wherever Vl'orm level. Other forms of piles can be used,

however, when necessary or desirable.

The concrete slabs, which are premolded,

may contain any of the known forms of reinforcement and, as stated above, are revers-- ible to bring the pilasters of the wall either on the front side or the back. A concrete Coping is usually applied to the top of the wall, and may, it' desired, be formed as part of the slabs. The w'all may be braced by anchor bolts or batter piles to assist in taking up lateral stresses.

To secure correct horizontal alinement of the slabs and to facilitate ythe erection of the wall, each slab is provided with hanger rods secured in its ends 'and supported from the tops of the piles, which may be provided with metal caps over which said rods pass and which valso serve to hold the anchor bolts, when these are used. There the wall is of considerable height, I place one row of slabs above another, the lower row then being sup-- ported by the hangers and the upper row being sustained by the lower row.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through the 'i wall, showing the pilasters on the front side;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the pilasters onvthe rear side;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section orn the wall through thel middle of a slab showing an anchor bolt bracing;

Fig. 4g is a similar view showing batter pile bracing; Y

Fig. v5 is a cross section 'of a deeper wall comprising two superposed rows of slabs;

Fig. 6 is a face view of the wall of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through a pilaster showing thel hanger rods and an anchor bolt connection, and y Fig. 8 is a similar view at right angles to Fig. 7. v l

A bank to be protected bythe wall is indicated, at ,l inigs. 1 to 4, the` same having a straight face 2 in Fig. land having recesses vB for the pilasterms, in Fig. Q, the pilasters in if' the first case being von the frontk of the wall, whereas in the seconde-ase, they are on the rear of the same.

c nach slab' 5 is .formi-.a withahaifpnaster Xt'nSOh it on one side of each of its ends,

and said extensions are recessed at 6 to enclose the piles 7. Concrete 8 is poured around the piles in said recesses and also fills the joint 10 between the meeting ends 9 of the slabs, which ends are irregularly shaped to interlock with each other.

The piles 7 are first driven, as explained above, at the proper distances apart and to a uniform resistance, and their tops are then cut off to bring them all inthe same horizontal plane.V If too short, they can be spliced, as stated. Then the slabs, which are preferably provided with the hangers 18, to be more fully described further on, are set in position with their enlarged recessed ends enclosing the piles. Concrete is then poured around the piles, filling said. recesses and the joints between the meeting faces of the slab ends. A coping 11 is then placed on top or, if desired, each slab may have a coping section molded integrally with it. If necessary, back anchors 12 are secured to the tops of the piles, or a back brace consisting of a concrete. head 13 and a batter pile 14, having its end 15 resting on the top of the pile, may be used.

Where the wall is deep, I use two rows of slabs, tied together at their meeting` edges by a concrete lock 17, and in this case, the lower row is supported by the hangers 18 while the top row is supported on the lower row. These hanger rods 18 have their free ends bent and embedded in the end faces of the slabs, as shown in Fig. 8. 'Io support these rods on the piles, I may use metal caps 19, having legs 20 depending on each side of the web of the pile, having a semi-circular top over which the middle of said rods lies, and having groove in its top to receive the anchor boltfl.

rIhe slabs and coping may contain any desired form of reinforcement.

From the above description and the illustration, it will be seen that I have provided a construction of retaining wall which is relatively inexpensive, simple to build, yet eX- tremely sturdy and durable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is y 1. A retaining wall, comprising a row of driven metal piles, concrete slabs recessed at their ends to enclose said piles, andhangers passed over the tops of the latter and having their ends embedded in the end faces of said slabs to support and aline the same said re. cesses being filled with cement to form an integral waterproof structure.

2. A retaining'wall, comprising a row of driven metal piles, concrete slabs recessed at their ends to enclose said piles, hangers passed over theV tops of the latter and having their ends embedded in the end faces of said slabs to support and aline the same, and shoes fitted on the tops of the piles to support said hangers said recesses being filled with cement to form an integral waterproof structure.

3. A retaining wall, comprising a row of driven metal piles, concrete slabs recessed at their ends to enclose said piles, hangers passed over the tops of the latter and having their ends embedded in the end faces of said slabs to support and aline the same, shoes fitted on the tops of the piles to support said hangers, and anchor braces for the piles secured in said shoes said recesses being filled with cement to form an integral waterproof structure.

4. A retaining wall composedof molded concrete slabs and spaced piles, each slab having a half pilaster extension on one side of each of its ends, an irregularly formed face on its ends and a recess in each of said faces, so that, in assembling the wall, each pair of adjacent slab ends interlock and enclose a pile, and said ends together form a pilaster which may project from the front of the wall or from the rear thereof, said recesses and the joint between said faces being filled with cement to form an integral waterproof structure.

5. A retaining wall, consisting of a row of spaced metal piles, and interlocking concrete slabs supported by said piles and filling the spaces between thesame, each slab having its ends thickened on one side and recessed to loosely enclose the adjacent piles, said recesses being filled with cement to form an in tegral waterproof structure. v Y Y 6. A retaining wall, consisting of a Vrow ot' spaced metal piles driven to a uniform resistance and with their tops in the same horizontal plane, and molded concrete slabs filling the spaces between said piles, said slabs having thickened ends provided with recesses to receive the adjacent piles, the meeting facesI of said ends being ribbed and grooved to form an interlocking joint, said recesses and joints being filled with cement to form an integral waterproof structure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y CARL WEBER. 

